The sun’s rays brightly shined, turning the farmers market into an oven. Sweat poured from my forehead as I watched my parents rapidly attend to customers. Suddenly, a new customer arrived and looked at our fresh tomatoes. Knowing my parents were busy, I anxiously approached the unattended customer, to which he happily purchased two pounds of tomatoes, and without realizing, I had made my very first sale. I was only 7 years old at the time, and I watched my parents establish their own business at the farmers market as undocumented immigrants. My dad would wake up at 5 AM every day to set up everything before opening, but I had to go with my parents on the weekends since they couldn’t afford a babysitter. These days were the busiest days of the week, so I also had to contribute by doing simple tasks such as sweeping the floors, restocking fruits and vegetables, and taking out trash boxes. My contributions might have been small at first, but I was glad I could relieve some duties from my parents, even if it meant I was exhausted. The intense summer heat and the frosty winter days may have been unbearable, but as I saw my parents’ perseverance and their refusal to be defeated, I knew that I could not give up either. As my parents’ business kept growing, I started gaining a more heightened understanding of the aspects of business and the importance of expansion. My father decided to take a risk by expanding our location at the farmers’ market, even if it meant paying more rent. I would help take charge with my uncle at the new location and I learned the process of buying items from other sellers and how to price items to make a profit. My dad also started selling to customers by wholesale, and this is where my love for the business evolved to a new dimension. I loved creating and listing orders for customers, and this is when I knew I wanted to pursue a career as an entrepreneur. This was such an exciting and pivotal time for me. My experiences of working at my parents’ business taught me that entrepreneurship isn’t only about selling things to customers, but it is also about striving for improvement, building new relationships, and working together as a group. As my responsibilities grew, I lost my shyness. I would begin interacting with customers and even built strong relationships with them. I began to be more charismatic by providing a joyful experience for the customers by making them feel appreciated. In addition, working with people from different cultures has allowed me to notice the importance of working together as this business would not have been as successful without it. As I look to the future, I will continue to contribute to my parents’ business, and hope that I can one day honor my parents’ legacy and manage businesses that not only succeed, but also make a positive impact on the community.

Business is a very broad term that categorizes where and how money is being transferred, but the ultimate goal is to always satisfy the customer. Business is the term that connects all of society together, otherwise the world would not be functionable. My life experiences in the business world has shaped me to be the person I am today by learning the value of opportunities. I am a business student that always tries to connect every single thing I do in life to business, and how the exchange of money for goods and services has impacted society as a whole.I grew up in a community of undocumented immigrants who came to this country for a better life, and many of these individuals founded their businesses, more specifically within a farmer's market. As a child, I enjoyed viewing the vibrant items that were sold ranging from exotic fruits and vegetables such as pitaya and rambutan to the pink guitars hanging on top of a sting. I was well-known in the farmer's market by many of the other Hispanic sellers, and I grew friendly relationships with them. I grew an attachment to my father's business at a very young age, and I still aspire to work within the business field to this day. Throughout time, I started understanding the dynamics of the thousands of immigrants who came to the United States, and I realized that not only did they risk their lives to seek for better opportunities, but they also had to formulate ways to find jobs by always staying close to their community. I was astonished by their warrior-like mentality to strive for better opportunities for their loved ones. Not only do I feel inspired to have this sort of mentality, but I also feel grateful for the opportunities provided by myparents. I would not be where I am to this day without them, so I have pledged to do my very best in every thing that I do. My community has taught me to always take advantage of every opportunity ahead of me, and I plan to be the first person in my family's history to attend a university. Going to college is surprisingly uncommon in many Hispanic households, but I am in a position as the Valedictorian of my school as I have implemented a hardworking lifestyle that is very much like my parents, just in an academic manner. I will always incorporate the values I learned from my community into my lifestyle to one day give back as a way of thanking them.

Business is a very broad term that categorizes where and how money is being transferred, but the ultimate goal is to always satisfy the customer. Business is the term that connects all of society together, otherwise the world would not be functionable. My life experiences in the business world has shaped me to be the person I am today by learning the value of opportunities. I am a business student that always tries to connect every single thing I do in life to business, and how the exchange of money for goods and services has impacted society as a whole.I grew up in a community of undocumented immigrants who came to this country for a better life, and many of these individuals founded their businesses, more specifically within a farmer's market.

Business is a very broad term that categorizes where and how money is being transferred, but the ultimate goal is to always satisfy the customer. Business is the term that connects all of society together, otherwise the world would not be functionable. My life experiences in the business world has shaped me to be the person I am today by learning the value of opportunities. I am a business student that always tries to connect every single thing I do in life to business, and how the exchange of money for goods and services has impacted society as a whole.I grew up in a community of undocumented immigrants who came to this country for a better life, and many of these individuals founded their businesses, more specifically within a farmer's market. As a child, I enjoyed viewing the vibrant items that were sold ranging from exotic fruits and vegetables such as pitaya and rambutan to the pink guitars hanging on top of a sting. I was well-known in the farmer's market by many of the other Hispanic sellers, and I grew friendly relationships with them. I grew an attachment to my father's business at a very young age, and I still aspire to work within the business field to this day. Throughout time, I started understanding the dynamics of the thousands of immigrants who came to the United States, and I realized that not only did they risk their lives to seek for better opportunities, but they also had to formulate ways to find jobs by always staying close to their community. I was astonished by their warrior-like mentality to strive for better opportunities for their loved ones. Not only do I feel inspired to have this sort of mentality, but I also feel grateful for the opportunities provided by myparents. I would not be where I am to this day without them, so I have pledged to do my very best in every thing that I do. My community has taught me to always take advantage of every opportunity ahead of me, and I plan to be the first person in my family's history to attend a university. Going to college is surprisingly uncommon in many Hispanic households, but I am in a position as the Valedictorian of my school as I have implemented a hardworking lifestyle that is very much like my parents, just in an academic manner. I will always incorporate the values I learned from my community into my lifestyle to one day give back as a way of thanking them.

Parents that come from marginalized backgrounds tend to have the agenda that pursuing an education is a waste of time. However, I never let this agenda stop me from maximizing my opportunities to become the best version of myself. Growing up in a Hispanic household, I always felt like my academic achievements were undervalued by my parents. My parents did not pursue an education higher than elementary school, yet they still managed to come to the United States as immigrants, and create a sustainable business. I would work within their business, and I managed to improve my communication and leadership skills through these experiences. However, I also felt a passion to learning at school and taking rigorous courses, so I felt conflicted on what aspect I should focus on. I continued to do my best in school to the point where I realized that I was ranked amongst the top of the Class of 2025. I used this as motivation to work even harder at school to be able to rank at the top of my class. I acknowledged that I was in a very unique situation in which I was working with my father in his business, while doing strong academically. I did not let my parents' comments about education being a waste of time impact me, but I also wanted to prove to them that an education would provide many benefits to my upcoming future as an entrepreneur. Now, I find myself as the Valedictorian and I plan to pursue an education at the University of Houston to study entrepreneurship, and I wish that my experiences within both my father's business and through a college education. I want to be able to advocate that pursuing an education does provide benefits and that it is not a waste of time. In addition, growing up within a farmer's market, I learned that many immigrants who come Hispanic backgrounds tend to have an entrepreneurial mindset by setting up their own businesses. Therefore, I want to provide as much aid and support to these individuals that I grew up with around my community as I want to use my education to not only evolve my entrepreneurial skills, but to also contribute to my community's progression. At the end of the day, I am a person who really wants the best for my immigrant community, and even beyond the business scene by helping them receive more recognition for their hard work, including the undocumented.

Parents that come from marginalized backgrounds tend to have the agenda that pursuing an education is a waste of time. However, I never let this agenda stop me from maximizing my opportunities to become the best version of myself. Growing up in a Hispanic household, I always felt like my academic achievements were undervalued by my parents. My parents did not pursue an education higher than elementary school, yet they still managed to come to the United States as immigrants, and create a sustainable business. I would work within their business, and I managed to improve my communication and leadership skills through these experiences. However, I also felt a passion to learning at school and taking rigorous courses, so I felt conflicted on what aspect I should focus on. I continued to do my best in school to the point where I realized that I was ranked amongst the top of the Class of 2025. I used this as motivation to work even harder at school to be able to rank at the top of my class. I acknowledged that I was in a very unique situation in which I was working with my father in his business, while doing strong academically. I did not let my parents' comments about education being a waste of time impact me, but I also wanted to prove to them that an education would provide many benefits to my upcoming future as an entrepreneur. Now, I find myself as the Valedictorian and I plan to pursue an education at the University of Houston to study entrepreneurship, and I wish that my experiences within both my father's business and through a college education. I want to be able to advocate that pursuing an education does provide benefits and that it is not a waste of time. In addition, growing up within a farmer's market, I learned that many immigrants who come Hispanic backgrounds tend to have an entrepreneurial mindset by setting up their own businesses. Therefore, I want to provide as much aid and support to these individuals that I grew up with around my community as I want to use my education to not only evolve my entrepreneurial skills, but to also contribute to my community's progression.

Parents that come from marginalized backgrounds tend to have the agenda that pursuing an education is a waste of time. However, I never let this agenda stop me from maximizing my opportunities to become the best version of myself. Growing up in a Hispanic household, I always felt like my academic achievements were undervalued by my parents. My parents did not pursue an education higher than elementary school, yet they still managed to come to the United States as immigrants, and create a sustainable business. I would work within their business, and I managed to improve my communication and leadership skills through these experiences. However, I also felt a passion to learning at school and taking rigorous courses, so I felt conflicted on what aspect I should focus on. I continued to do my best in school to the point where I realized that I was ranked amongst the top of the Class of 2025. I used this as motivation to work even harder at school to be able to rank at the top of my class. I acknowledged that I was in a very unique situation in which I was working with my father in his business, while doing strong academically. I did not let my parents' comments about education being a waste of time impact me, but I also wanted to prove to them that an education would provide many benefits to my upcoming future as an entrepreneur. Now, I find myself as the Valedictorian and I plan to pursue an education at the University of Houston to study entrepreneurship, and I wish that my experiences within both my father's business and through a college education. I want to be able to advocate that pursuing an education does provide benefits and that it is not a waste of time. In addition, growing up within a farmer's market, I learned that many immigrants who come Hispanic backgrounds tend to have an entrepreneurial mindset by setting up their own businesses. Therefore, I want to provide as much aid and support to these individuals that I grew up with around my community as I want to use my education to not only evolve my entrepreneurial skills, but to also contribute to my community's progression. At the end of the day, I am a person who really wants the best for my immigrant community, and even beyond the business scene by helping them receive more recognition for their hard work, including the undocumented.

I was only 7 years old, and I watched my parents establish their own business at the farmers market as undocumented immigrants. My dad would wake up at 5 AM every day to set up everything before opening, but I had to go with my parents on the weekends since they couldn’t afford a babysitter. These days were the busiest days of the week, so I also had to contribute by doing simple tasks such as sweeping the floors, restocking fruits and vegetables, and taking out trash boxes. My contributions might have been small at first, but I was glad I could relieve some duties from my parents, even if it meant I was exhausted. The intense summer heat and the frosty winter days may have been unbearable, but as I saw my parents’ perseverance and their refusal to be defeated, I knew that I could not give up either. As my parents’ business kept growing, I started gaining a more heightened understanding of the aspects of business and the importance of expansion. My father decided to take a risk by expanding our location at the farmers’ market, even if it meant paying more rent. I would help take charge with my uncle at the new location and I learned the process of buying items from other sellers and how to price items to make a profit. My dad also started selling to customers by wholesale, and this is where my love for the business evolved to a new dimension. I loved creating and listing orders for customers, and this is when I knew I wanted to pursue a career as an entrepreneur. This was such an exciting and pivotal time for me. My experiences of working at my parents’ business taught me that entrepreneurship isn’t only about selling things to customers, but it is also about striving for improvement, building new relationships, and working together as a group. As my responsibilities grew, I lost my shyness as I would begin interacting with customers and even built strong relationships with them. I began to be more charismatic by providing a joyful experience for the customers by making them feel appreciated. In addition, my parents and co-workers spoke a very little amount of English, so I would help teach them English phrases while attending English-speaking customers. Working with people from different cultures has allowed me to notice the importance of working together as this business would not have been as successful without it. It was also a nod to my ancestors to be a part of creating this community. As I look to the future, my experiences at the farmers market will continue to guide me to seek the pursuit of entrepreneurial ventures. I will continue to contribute to my parents business, and hope that I can one day honor my parents legacy and manage businesses that not only succeed, but also make a positive impact on the community. My experiences shaped my identity, helped me create strong relationships, and prepared me for the challenges ahead. As I journey on to the next chapter of my life, I carry with me the lessons learned throughout my life from working at my parents’ business to help make me become the best version of myself to make my parents and ancestors proud and give back to my community. I will always stand by Winston Churchill’s quote, “we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”.

I grew a passion to major in business from my life experiences in my father's business. My father owns a business about selling many items such as produce, cooking necessities, and a variety of Mexican products to the public and to other businesses, and I have learned many aspects about it throughout my experiences of being around my father. Growing up, I really enjoyed simply visualizing how my father was able to attract the attention of customers and sell them a product at the Houston Farmers Market. Throughout the years, I have been able to learn multiple dynamics of business and learn the necessary skills such as being able to talk to others and being an effective problem solver. I grew an immense passion to attend customers and provide them with the best customer service so they could leave with a smile on their face. The University of Houston would allow me to fulfill my potential by learning from some of the high quality professionals within the C.T. Bauer School of Business as I seek to expand my father's business to a higher extent. After earning my Bachelor's Degree, I want to achieve a Master's degree in business to completely maximize my potential to be a successful entrepreneur. I will continue to maintain high academic standards by having good grades, while continuing to work within my father's business and taking more leadership roles throughout time. Growing up in the Houston Farmer's Market community made me realize that many Hispanic immigrants tend to have a sense of entrepreneurial values to the point where they start creating their own small businesses. As I continue pursuing an education, one of my life goals is to be able to help out my community of Hispanic entrepreneurs that are starting their new businesses. I want to provide economic aid to Hispanic entrepreneurs, and even help them strategize how to sell their products. Another life goal I plan to pursue is to be able to retire my parents within 5-8 years of when I start my education at the University of Houston. My parents have worked so hard every single day since they came to this country as immigrants, and their story on how they managed to build up their business is my main inspiration to pursue an education. The least I could do is help them retire as soon as possible, and I plan to always work to the best of my ability until I manage to fulfill this goal.